Arne RSPB - Sat 25 Aug

A trip down to the RSPB reserve at Arne today which started with a walk over Coombe Heath where an Osprey was present albeit rather distant.

A Dartford Warbler was heard but not seen and that was pretty much it on the bird front. I did manage to successfully see both Raft Spider and Wasp Spider though.

After lunch I took a walk out to Shipstal Point which again was pretty devoid of birds other than a flock of Black-tailed Godwits and a few Sandwich Terns. Returning to the car park a Whinchat popped up and was the pick of the day by a mile.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 22 Aug

An impressive fourteen Common Sandpipers on the patch today, a really good autumn count. There were also two Green Sandpipers this afternoon along with four Linnet and a Mandarin. There was also a good movement of Swallows and House Martins today.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 21 Aug

A sub-adult Tufted Duck was a new arrival today along with a very strange aythya hybrid which held a metal ring (it looked as if it could have been the same bird seen before over the last two years). Common Sandpipers had risen to eleven birds and a Green Sandpiper was also seen. The growing flock of Canada Geese numbered 169 individuals.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 16 Aug

Two Black-tailed Godwits were present off the northern causeway early morning.

At the southern end a single Green Sandpiper and three Common Sandpipers were seen.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 15 Aug

A Green Sandpiper was present for its second day at the southern end of the reservoir along with half a dozen Common Sandpipers. Another Yellow-legged Gull today, this time a second calendar year bird. Four Great Black-backed Gull were present, including two juvenile birds. A couple of Kingfishers added a splash of colour and several Chiffchaff were evident today.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 13 Aug

A third calendar year Yellow-legged Gull was present today and was the pick of the birds.

Five Common Sandpipers were noted and two Reed Warblers were in vegetation at the southern end of the reservoir. A fly-over Raven was also seen along with the first patch Whitethroat for several weeks.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 12 Aug

A Spotted Flycatcher was seen in the car park mid-morning but despite there being several birds flitting around very few showed themselves so I have no idea what may have passed through undetected. A couple of fresh Willow Warblers were nice to see whilst five Common Sandpipers were noted along the water's edge.